Spare Time Thursday: Mountain of Laundry

I honestly can't imagine what our laundry situation is going to be like once we have kids. Ours is already a constant chore. Between our clothes, sheets and towels, we usually have 3-4 loads a week. Add a stinky pooch to the mix, and we can easily have 4-5 (he's a blanket fiend). Plus the occasional guest...let's not do the math. Either way, laundry can be a real chore for some. Luckily, it's really not one I mind, its just a matter of making sure it gets done...and put away!

Depending on the week, I might just try to do one load a day, but usually my schedule doesn't permit that. Tonight, the mountain needed climbing, and I had the time to do it, so I'm in the middle of it right now (see- a bonus to laundry...it's not constant...you get breaks!). But if you are saying- ugh, I don't have time to spend 3 hours on laundry, I'm going to help you break it down into smaller, more reasonable tasks. This Thursday, we are going to Spare Time for the Laundry!

Let's start here first. We have this laundry sorter, and it is a life saver!
We put whites on the left and colors on the right. Depending on how much laundry we have, this can completely eliminate the need to sort anything. However, when we are dealing with mountains...there is always sorting.

Ok, let's get to the time break down!

10 Minutes: When you really only have 10 minutes to spare, the best option is to just sort your laundry. When we have a decent amount, ours is broken down by lights, darks, and whites (which usually includes our white towels). Get each load in a basket, and if you have the room, put it in the laundry area. This way, when you have more time, it's just a matter of throwing in a load.

15/5 Minutes (20 Minutes Total): (I'm splitting it up because we need to account for the washer to do it's business- so I'll split the times up for that as you'll need to break up the time) Do the above sorting and load your first load into the washer. Come back when it's done and move the items to the dryer, and hang dry the delicate or shrinkable items.

15/5/15 Minutes (35 Minutes Total): Do the above sorting, starting and drying of the first load. Then, fold the clothes. Mmmmm smell that deep clean freshness! Hate folding clothes? Watch a show while you do it! Make a playlist of your 3 current favorite songs!

15/5/15/10 Minutes (45 Minutes Total): Do the above sorting, starting, drying and folding of the first load. Now go put away the clothes. This is one task that I know is hard to do! Often I will have clean clothes just waiting to be put away, but if you have 10 minutes to surf the net, I'm sure you can spare 10 to put away the clothes. (That was my own personal pep talk...if it helps you to, then that will make two of us!)

15/5/15/10/15 Minutes (60 Minutes Total): This is a possible step. Do all the above, and then iron anything in that load that needs to be ironed. You'll be really thankful on that morning you are rushing around trying to get ready when you don't have to iron your pants! You spared 15 minutes and did it Thursday night ;)

You are only 60 minutes from a REALLY done load of laundry. Start to finish. Go on- do it! The bonus to the laundry is that by just adding a few minutes here and there, you can easily get 2-3 more loads done. Don't let that cotton heap scare you!

Spare Time Thursday: The Entry

It's the first place your guests encounter. It is the first impression of your home. It's your first opportunity to make a statement about your house. And its....dirty? No, not your foyer. It's spotless. I know it is. But in case you know of a friend that could use a little guidance on cleaning her entry, I'll do this post in the hopes she'll stumble upon it ;)

Tonight's Spare Time Thursday is all about making your first impression your best impression. We'll break it down into time increments for moments when you have last minute guests coming around the corner, to a weeknight when there is no good TV on, and the entry can have a little more of your time. Let's get started.

5 Minutes
Dust your entry table, bench, whatever piece of furniture you might have in that area. If you don't have a closet, it is nice to have somewhere for your guests to put their coat, bag, shoes, etc. If you have a small entry, a small bench or leather ottoman is a great option so they can use it to sit and put on their shoes, or rest their bag and keys. Whatever that holding spot is, give a good wipe! Then, clean any mirrors you might have.

15 Minutes
Do the above, then vacuum the rug, and/or sweep the floor. While mirrors, tables and benches will most likely catch your guest's eyes first since they will be looking to set things down (or at themself...) the floors will be a close second. As they go to take off their shoes, they are definitely going to notice dirty floors! To help keep it clean, be sure to have a welcome mat right outside the door to brush off any loose debris before entering the house.

20 Minutes
If your entry is attached to your stairwell, take these extra 5 minutes to continue the vacuuming right up the stairs. Half of them are going to be eye level with your guests, so it's a great spot to tackle and you look like a cleaning allstar! Don't forget to vacuum the vertical portion, that is what you are going to see when standing in front of them anyway!

30 Minutes
Clean the front door windows. Simple as that.

I decided to add one...
45 -60 Minutes
Again, if your entry is attached to the stairs, take some time to clean the banister. I did this the other week, so I didn't do it again today, but it's one of those items that you don't think about cleaning, but gets HUGE hand traffic! You can click here to see my process.


And really, that should be just about it. You are only 30 minutes away (at most) to a clean entry! Did you spare any time tonight?


*Mental note: get some Halloween candy to fill my pumpkin dish :)

Spare Time Thursday: Formal Dining Room

You want to know what I didn't want to do tonight? I'll tell you. Spare Time Thursday is what I didn't want to do tonight. I was lucky enough to spend this evening with some of my favorite gals shopping (er, returning), eating and drinking. It was long overdue! But on my drive home, I was thinking, gosh, I'd really just like to cuddle up in bed and watch some TV. But I pressed on, because c'mon, we ALL have a little time we can spare!

So tonight's task, the formal dining room. It's been featured many times in my blog thus far, quite possibly because it is my favorite room in the house. It is exactly the way I want it, and I LOVE entertaining in it! But to do that, it has to be clean. It's not that difficult to make sure it is that way, and here's how!

10 Minutes: Dust everything down with a damp cloth- water only. You really shouldn't use pledge on your dining set. Just a little bit of water to keep the dirt from scratching the furniture will do the trick. Endust is another option if you really feel the need to use a cleaning product. I have my table, 8 chairs, cabinet and sideboard. It usually takes me roughly 10 minutes to do.

20 Minutes: Do the above and then clean the glass- windows, glass on the cabinets, glass table tops, etc. Check out that sparkling cabinet!

40 Minutes: Do the above, but as you are cleaning the cabinet, pull everything out, and clean the backs and bottoms of the shelves.

45 Minutes: Do all the above, and then clean your floors. I like to just run a wet swiffer around, and move the furniture as I go.


See, that wasn't so bad after all was it? I'm definitely glad it's done and now the only thing my dining room is missing is some guests. Hmmm...who to call....

Were you able to spare some time for cleaning tonight?

Spare Time Thursday: Organize Your Office!

I barely had any time to spare tonight myself! I had already done some returns and gone to the grocery store and Sam's Club, so this evening was tight, but I still made time to get something done. It's this darn blog. It's a motivation maniac!

So I pondered for a minute what I could spare some time for, and then I recalled that nagging weekend list that still had an undone item on it! The office! Of all the rooms in our house, that is our "catch-all" room. When Carl isn't traveling, he works from home in there. As I've mentioned before, we don't have the funds to create an elaborate workspace, so we have to work with what we have. And that also means, we need to keep it organized to keep it functional. So tonight, I spared some time to get my paper in order!

5 Minutes: Gather up anything that doesn't belong in the office and get it out of there. Don't let your office become no man's land for things that don't have a home. Give them a home, even if that home is storage, or get rid of it! This simple and quick step will eventually help keep the office in a manageable state.

10 Minutes: Do the above and then sort your papers. Three piles is all you need- File (I consider coupons and receipts file items), Action and Trash. If they don't fit in those three, they don't fit in the office! Throw the trash away, and you can leave the other two piles for when you have more time.

20 Minutes: Do the above and file those papers! We have a filing cabinet with different files for each important account- credit card, bank account, insurance, tax papers, car loan, mortgage, etc. Giving each individual item it's own folder makes it super easy to purge the files every 6 months!

30 Minutes: Do the above and determine time frames for your action pile. If they are bills that need to be paid, go ahead and schedule the payment online or get the check ready and put it in the outgoing mail area. If they have to wait, set them aside. I use a graduated file holder.

45 Minutes: Do all the above and dust & wipe everything!


Here are a few key things in the office that help keep me organized:



1. The filing cabinet- key! As much as I'd love to live in a paperless world, I'm just not ready yet. So as I stated, each important account has it's own folder. (Carl has work stuff in here too, I swear we don't need 4 drawers of files!)

2. This is probably the only piece of furniture in this room I actually like. I use it to store extra blankets and all my camera stuff- including video camera. You can't see it, but all the cords, tapes, memory cards, batteries, etc. are in a small plastic tote. We also keep our laptop bags in here when not in use.

3. The best $1 I've ever spent. It's an accordion file folder from Target, and it was seriously $1. I leave the front pocket open, and then starting in the 2nd pocket I organize coupons by their expiration date. So, for example, the coupons that expire in August go in the second pocket. In the back is where I keep my receipts in case of returns. Then before I go shopping, I flip through to see what coupons I need that day and put them in the empty front pocket.

4. Lastly, the graduated paper organizer. I keep the file folder in there, as well as BB&B coupons (since there are SO many of them) and then my action items go in the front.

Hopefully you were able to spare some time today and tidied up a space in your house!

Spare Time Thursday: Clean Your Car!

Ah those four wheels that take you everywhere you want to go. We probably spend hours each week in our car, yet sometimes it is the most neglected spot "around the house." I always told myself I wanted to make sure my car was nice and clean, but sometimes it just isn't so. But when you take the approach of Spare Time Thursday, your car can get clean and stay clean! So this week, I'll break down tasks to keep your car nice and tidy.

5 Minutes: Take anything out of the car that doesn't belong there- including trash, receipts, cups, mail, etc.

10 Minutes: Do the above and wipe down the dash, doors, steering wheel and middle console with an all purpose car cleaner such as Armor All. We think to wash our counters and bathrooms, but what makes us skip something that has our grimy hands on it all the time? Clean that wheel!

15 Minutes: Do all the above and clean all the interior windows and rear view mirror

25 Minutes: Do all the above and break out the vacuum! Vacuum the floor mats, the floor, and seats if cloth

35 Minutes: Do all the above and condition those leather seats! There are a lot of easy leather spray cleaners that you just wipe with a rag. Not only do they do a great job cleaning, but they give your car a nice, fresh, clean scent! I like Blue Magic Leather and Vinyl Cleaner.

45 Minutes: Do all the above and then run to your closest quick car wash. It's worth the couple dollars they charge, and studies have shown you don't save water by washing your car yourself. So take a break and let the pros handle this part!

I did everything today except the exterior car wash. It's been raining here (thankfully) so no need for that. But as soon as the sun comes out, I'll make the outside match the inside!

Did you use your Spare Time wisely??Have a suggestion for STT? Let me know!

Spare Time Thursday: Clean Your Bathroom!!

So one of the reasons people say they don't or can't clean is because of a lack of time. Ah the clock, never enough time when you need it, right? I thought I would try a new weekly/biweekly, I don't know we'll see how it goes, post. It's all about focusing on what you can get done in the time you can spare. Introducing, Spare Time Thursday!

This week, let's dig into the bathroom. That sounds gross, let's just clean it. Oh no time you say? Well can you spare 5 minutes? How about 10? Give it 20 and you won't regret it! No matter how much time you have, there's something you can do to improve it. I cleaned the bathroom tonight, and paid attention to the amount of time things took me.

5 Minutes: Wipe down and swish the toilet. Everyone's toilet could use a little cleaning! Make this the top priority.

10 Minutes: Clear off the counter of any objects. Clean the mirror and wipe down the counter with a cloth- I prefer Clorox Wipes. Clean the toilet as stated above.

15 Minutes: Spray down the shower with a product such as Tilex Mold and Mildew, Clean your mirror, counter and toilet. Then go back and rinse down the shower, scrubbing any tough spots.

20 Minutes: Do all of the above, then clean those floors! I prefer to use a dry swiffer and then a wet cloth on it as well, but you do what works for your floor!

Granted, my Master Bath is small, but it's functional. I like it enough, we get along. One day, it will be glorious, but for now, it works. And I'm not saying this is a great deep clean, but it's a great weekly clean that keeps it presentable and looking good!

See? My bathroom is lookin' good!




How much time can you spare today? Do you like this post? Have a suggestion? Let me know!